Angry Old Man Discount Tire Edition

I’ll say it here. My 20-year-old daughter is cute, blonde, and tiny. I worry sometimes about how the world will treat her. So far, the world has been pretty good. But not so much yesterday. She lived through the most stereotypical chauvinistic treatment from a sales guy at Discount Tire. It was so nasty, you’d think it was in a movie and if you saw the scene play out you’d say, “oh, that’s a little much …nobody really acts like that.”

Well, they do. I’m proud to say, with a little coaching, she stood her ground, got her tire fixed, and someone else treated her nicely and fairly. The way she was treated, and lied to, by the sales guy, disgusted me. Even on my worst day as a human, I’ve never treated anyone like my daughter was treated. At least not on purpose. And if I ever did, at one point in my life, act like a giant pig …I think I would apologize if it was pointed out.

So, I could threaten to drive up there and chew that sales-guy a new one, but I’m civilized …so I’ll do the modern-day-year-2023 equivalent of “knocking his teeth in” . . . a scathing Google and Yelp review.

I await an Email or Phone call and apology. Here’s the review I posted:

Discount Tire has been my go-to since 1988 and when my daughter called me to tell me her tire was flat, I said, “get to Discount Tire, they’re great. They’ll plug it or fix it.” In all these years, every time I needed tires, or needed a tire fixed …Discount Tire, Discount Tire, Discount Tire. Fair. Honest. Always fully staffed. I swear by this brand. But now? Well, not the Okemos, MI location.

I will get the name of the sales guy that “helped” my daughter and revise this review. This guy was rude, not helpful, and tried to take advantage of my daughter. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.

Here’s the situation …she took our Buick Encore up to MSU. Reliable car. Low miles. Just under 40,000. When she was inspecting her flat tire, she saw a nail. I said to her, “well, get it fixed and for the little driving you do, when you come home for fall break or Thanksgiving, we’re about due for new tires.”

Now, let me share what Dumb-bleep Tire Sales Guy told my daughter.

“These tires are pretty much slicks. Which means they’re bald. I’m not sure I feel comfortable plugging it. It probably won’t take and it wouldn’t be safe.”

She texted me. I didn’t like that answer so I asked him to price out 1 tire.

Sales Guy: “You don’t buy 1 tire. That’s less safe than even if I gave you a plug. You really need all four tires.”

She texted me. I told her to tell him, well, new tires this month aren’t in the budget. If you could just plug it and fix it, that will do. More than once in my 35 years of auto ownership I’ve bought 1 tire or 2 tires.

Sales Guy: “If you can’t afford tires, you probably can’t afford this car.”

OK, Minimum-Wage Earnin’ Discount Tire Guy …thanks for wage-shaming me and judging how much my daughter makes, or her parents make, because she’s refusing your expert advice. It’s a Buick. With around 40,000 miles on the original tires. With a nail in it. And I’m negotiating and politely trying to say, hey, I’d like to wait on a $400+ purchase and I just would like the tire fixed so my daughter can get around town …where she drives less than 10 miles a week …and then home at break.

I called my local Detroit-area Midas (on Woodward and 14 Mile and the most honest, amazing bunch of dudes ANYWHERE) and they laughed at the absurdity. I called my Master Mechanic Cousin and he also said this sounds stupid, but send a picture of the tire and put a penny in the tread so I can assess. He, too, laughed.

The tires are FINE! Just needed a plug. And if Dumbo Tire Sales Guy would’ve been helpful, honest, and given her an estimate, I might’ve sent her back to get new tires. Right around 40,000 miles is about the time to replace and before winter is smart (and I CAN afford it, Dumbo).

Reluctantly and while rolling his eyes, Dumbo sighed at my daughter and got her in line to get a plug.

Luckily, the actual guy out in the shop who plugged the tire did it, didn’t charge my daughter any money, and when she asked him about the tread and if she should drive carefully or at low speeds, he placed his tread measuring device into the tread and said, oh, no, these are fine. You’ve probably got 5,000 more miles. You’re all set. Whoever that guy is …I’d like to find him and buy him a case of beer or tip him a $20. The other guy? I’d like to ask him about his wife, mother, sister, grandmother, or his own daughter if he has one and how he would like it if someone who should know better treated any of them like idiots.

I won’t lay this on Discount Tire …but a really, big jerk (I would use a curse word if I didn’t think Google would take this down).